Category (Old),Old Way of Law,
Category (New),New Way of Spirit
External Code,"1. The moral precepts of God are only an
external code of conduct. The law commands obedience but provides no
inclination or desire to obey."
,Internal Desire,"1. The moral precepts of God are
written on our hearts as well as being an external code. The Spirit inclines
our hearts and gives us a desire to obey."
Commanding,2. The law commands but gives no enabling power
for obedience.,Enabling,2. The Spirit enables us to obey the law's commands.
Hostility,"3. Because of our hostility to God's law
before our conversion, the commands of the law actually provoked and incited us
to sin.",
Delight,"3. The Spirit, by removing our hostility and
writing the law on our hearts, actually causes us to delight in God's
law."
Fear,"4. The law produces a legalistic response to God.
We try to obey because of a fear of punishment for disobedience or in order to
win favor with God.",
Gratitude,"4. The Spirit, by showing us God's grace,
produces a response of love and gratitude. We obey, not out of fear or to earn
favor, but out of gratitude for favor already given."
Working,"5. Under the law, we perform in order to be
accepted by God. Since our performance is always imperfect, we never feel
completely accepted by Him.",
Relying,"5. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit
that we are accepted by God through the merit of Christ. By relying solely on
His perfect righteousness, we feel accepted by Him."
We died to the law in order that we might live in the realm
of grace. We died to the law that we might bear fruit to God. And according to
Romans 7:6, we died that we might "serve [God] in the new way of the
Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code [the law]."